Three Meetings
by SeekHim
Summary: In three different realities Kames T Kirk meets two special Nlians. Takes place in the Prime, AOS and my 'New Start' verse.
1. TOS Verse

_Stardate 2947.3 (1/2267)_  
 _Starbase 11_  
 _One of the base's lounges_  
 _4:30 PM_

James T. Kirk took a deep breath, his mind going back over the whirlwind of activity that had been  
happening over the past few days.

During a sudden ion storm, the _Enterprise_ has sustained considerable damage and gone to Red Alert.  
That had been bad enough, but during the alert he'd been forced to make the gut wrenching decision  
to eject a research pod containing one of his officers, Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Finney, to prevent  
the destruction of the ship.

Following the tragedy the _Enterprise_ had made its way to the nearest base, Starbase 11, for repairs.  
And that's when things had truly been thrown into a tailspin.

Station commander, Commodore Stone, while reviewing the ship's records had seemingly discovered  
that Kirk had ejected the pod while the ship was at Yellow Alert and not yet in serious danger.

Worse, Stone had researched and uncovered the complex relationship between him and Finney.  
Years before they had both served together aboard the _USS Republic_. At one point, Finney had made  
a mistake concerning the anti-matter system, which would have destroyed the _Republic_ had the ship  
gone to warp. Fortunately, Kirk had noticed the mistake, corrected it and noted it in the ship's log.  
As a result, Finney had been officially reprimanded and sent to the bottom of the promotion list.  
Ever since then Finney had harbored a grudge against him and blamed him for keeping his career  
at a standstill.

Based on the ship's records and their troubled past, Stone had suspected him of intentionally killing Finney.

Stone had asked him to voluntarily step down, but he had disputed the allegations and demanded a trial.  
He had then spoken to Lieutenant Areel Shaw, a Starfleet Judge Advocate General officer, and a former  
girlfriend, to seek legal advice. She had informed him that she had already been assigned to _prosecute_ him.

He had wound up getting legal representation from another.

 _"You have to be either an obsessive crackpot who's escaped from his keeper, or Samuel T. Cogley,_  
 _Attorney at Law.'_

 _"Right on both counts. Need a lawyer?"_

Samuel T. Cogley. Kirk smiled inwardly as he thought of his lawyer. The man was one of the most eccentric  
men he'd ever met, but when it came to law he was brilliant and none more impassioned.

At the trial it had been discovered that Finney was still alive. That he had, in fact, faked his death in order  
to frame Kirk.

He had been cleared of all charges and repairs were continuing on the _Enterprise._ They were scheduled  
to depart the day after tomorrow.

He had been up to his eyebrows in reports and going over things with Spock, but he had decided to take  
a quick break. He could have headed to one of the officer's lounges, but this one had been closest and above  
all, was quiet, which was exactly what he wanted right now. To take a few minutes to sit down and once again  
simply process everything that had happened.

A former friend had betrayed him. Because of old grudges…blame… and inability to forgive. And many had  
believed that that he had murdered him. Had believed him to be guilty.

"Captain Kirk?"

He looked up to see two small-statured crewmembers in blue uniforms standing near him. _Nlian_ his mind supplied.

"Can I help you, crewmen?" he asked.

The female, a dark skinned woman with large vivid green eyes, shook her head. "No, Captain.  
We noticed you sitting there and we just wanted to congratulate you about the trial's outcome."

Ah yes. The entire Starbase had been talking about it.

The male, Caucasian in appearance and with large blue eyes, spoke. "We heard everyone talking about it.  
Speculating."

"But we never thought that you were guilty, sir" the woman said softly.

Kirk nodded. "Thank you. I don't believe that we've met."

The woman smiled. "Crewmen Shylea L'Naym, sir." She took the male's hand. "And this is my lifemate,  
Crewman Tuskaro Alyen."

"I see." It was now Kirk's turn to smile. "And are you Science or Medical?"

"I work in the Medical section, sir," Alyen answered. "Shylea works in the botanic labs."

"I see. Sounds nice and peaceful." His expression turned rueful. "Take my word for it, it's a _lot_ more peaceful  
than a Captain's job."

"I'm sure it is." L'Naym's expression turned serious. "But I'm also sure that being a Captain has its joys as well  
as its burdens. Otherwise you would never have sought it."

Kirk raised his eyebrows, impressed with her insight. "Very true, Crewman. Very true."

And it was. Despite everything that had happened. Despite all the trials he had been through in life, he couldn't  
imagine any life other than him as Captain of the _Enterprise._

"How long have you both been in Starfleet?" he asked out of curiosity.

Alyen answered. "Ten years. We both joined back in 57' and entered the training program for enlisted personnel.  
After our training we were assigned to Starbase 2."

Kirk's eyebrows raised. "Starbase 2? My father served there as Chief of Security when I was a boy."

Alyen nodded. "We were there for four years and then in 62' we were transferred here to Starbase 11.  
We've been here ever since."

"Never been on a ship?"

"No, although we've been on a lot of trips to other worlds. But staying in one place has its advantages.  
We came to think of Starbase 2 as a small city in space. And Starbase 11 is really fascinating.  
When you're located on of the key administrative facilities of the Quadrant, there's always  
something interesting going on." She smiled. "As my lifemate would say, "You never know what's  
around the next river bend."

Kirk chuckled. Surprised at how easy it was talking to two strangers and enlisted crewmen at that.

"And being on a starbase has other advantages;" Alyen put in. "It's a good place to raise a family."

"You have children?"

"Yes, sir. Two. Our son's five and our daughter's three."

"Congratulations." Children. That was something that there definitely wasn't room for in his life.

His expression turned thoughtful. "So, you never thought that I was guilty? Even though we'd never met?"

"We knew about you, of course," L'Naym answered. "I think everyone in Starfleet knows about Captain  
James T. Kirk. But we just…it's hard to explain." She paused. "It was just a feeling. We've seen footage  
of you and in it we saw the captain, but we also saw the man. And the man didn't strike either of us as  
someone who would murder someone."

Kirk was silent for a moment. "Thank you, Crewman. That…means a lot."

 _"Bridge, to Captain Kirk."_

Kirk started slightly at the sound of his comm, then pulled it out. "Kirk here."

 _"Captain,"_ came Spock's voice. _"Could you join me in Engineering? Mr. Scott had some additional matters_  
that he needed to discuss with you regarding repairs."

"On my way, Mr. Spock."

He closed his comm and he stood up. "Well, I need to go. I need to go see what's around the river bend."  
He chuckled and the two Nlians gave gentle smiles.

"It was an honor to meet you, Captain Kirk," Alyen said quietly.

"You too, Crewmen."

As he walked out of the room toward the closest transport padd, Kirk kept thinking about the two Nlian crewmen.  
They had only met briefly and he doubted that he would see them again.

But he knew that he wouldn't forget them.

* * *

NOTES  
Takes place after TOS episode 'Court Martial'  
Season 1: Episode 20


	2. AOS Verse

_Stardate 2263.0.10  
Starbase Yorktown_

Kirk let out a deep sigh as he sat on the bench in one of Yorktown's many parks. The past several days had been  
a literal storm. Krall's attack, the loss of the _Enterprise,_ the attack on Yorktown Starbase. And all of the following  
repercussions.

It had been days of nonstop meetings with Starfleet personnel, meetings with his staff and the grim task of notifying  
the families of those who had died. He was determined to speak personally to every single one of them.

And then of course there were future plans.

It was crazy irony but some good had come out of everything that had happened. Before all of this craziness  
he had been considering leaving the _Enterprise_ and taking the Rear Admiral position. It had taken the destruction  
of the _Enterprise_ to make him realize how much he had loved that ship. It had taken losing his crew to make him  
realize that he couldn't bear to leave them. It had taken everything that happened to remind him that he belonged  
out in the black.

"Captain Kirk?"

He looked up to see a couple standing close to him. He recognized them as Nlians and both wore the uniforms  
of Yorktown personnel.

Oddly, even though he didn't know them, they seemed vaguely familiar.

"I hope we're not disturbing you," the male replied. He was Caucasian in appearance with brown hair and large blue eyes.

Kirk smiled. "Not at all. I was just taking a little break."

The woman, dark skinned and with large luminous eyes, spoke next. "We noticed you when we came to the park  
and we recognized you."

 _That_ was no surprise. He was getting used to being one of Starfleet's most famous captains. And considering the narrow  
thwarting of Krall's attack, it wasn't surprising that everyone on Yorktown knew his face.

The woman went on "Captain, we know that you must have heard this a thousand times, but thank you.  
For everything that you did to save this station from the attack."

Kirk nodded solemnly. "You're welcome. But it wasn't just me. It never is."

He studied the two Nlians unable to shake the feeling that he'd seem them before. "And who do I have  
the pleasure of addressing?"

The woman smiled. "I'm Crewman Shylea L'Naym, sir. I work in the botanical and hydroponics bays."

"And I'm Crewman Tuskaro Alyen," the male replied. "I work in Medical."

Kirk's eyes widened. He _had_ heard those names before.

Two years before the _Enterprise_ had encountered an unusual anomaly in the Campor System. She had been  
pulled into it before being hurled back out into space. At first she had seemed to be right back where she'd  
started, but she had then encountered a small ship commanded by…James T Kirk.

The anomaly had actually been a cosmic storm, a meeting point between countless parallel realities and  
the _Enterprise_ had been hurled into a reality where James T. Kirk had left the _Enterprise_ after only a few  
months and taken command of a tiny science vessel, the _USS Saratoga._

He and his senior staff had briefly boarded the _Saratoga_ to discuss the entire insane situation face to face  
and combine resources to hopefully find a way home. He, of course, couldn't remember every crewmember  
he'd encountered while there. But a few had stood out.

Among the _Saratoga_ crew had been two Nlians. Nearly identical to the two speaking to him now.  
He had only encountered them momentarily and they hadn't spoken to him, but they had obviously  
had a strong connection with his double.

* * *

 _*Flashback*_

 _"Who were those two?" Kirk asked curiously. "If you don't mind my asking?"_

 _His double paused. "Crewmen Tuskaro Alyen and Shylea L'Naym. Husband and wife.  
Paramedic and Botanist respectively."_

 _"Friends of yours?"_

 _The other Kirk's face was expressionless but his voice was anything but. "More than friends, Captain.  
_ _ **Much**_ _more."_

 _Something about his tone let Kirk know not to press for more info._

 _*End flashback*_

* * *

After successfully returning to their own reality, Kirk had run a check on his universe's _Saratoga_.  
One of only four of its class and under the command of Captain P'Rel from Cait. Some of the crew  
that he'd encountered in that other reality served aboard it here, while others didn't.

The two Nlians in front of him obviously were the later.

He looked at them curiously. "If you don't mind my asking, how long have you both been in Starfleet?"

"We joined the program for enlisted personnel back in 57," L'Naym answered readily.  
"After our training we were assigned to the _USS Tereshkova_. We were there for four years."

The _Tereshkova_. The _Enterprise_ had encountered that ship only a few months ago. An _Armstrong_  
class vessel, under the command of Captain Veronica Campell.

L'Naym was still talking. "When our son was born last year we transferred here to Yorktown."

Alyen was smiling. "We've been here for months and we still haven't gotten used to it!  
This whole place is incredible! It's larger than the capital city of our homeworld!"

Kirk smiled. "This place _is_ impressive."

"Well, we need to go now," L'Naym said. "We need to pick our son up from daycare.  
It was a pleasure speaking with you, Captain."

"And you."

Kirk watched as the two Nlians departed. He had been curious about the _Saratoga_ crewmembers  
and their counterparts here, but he had never had any desire to seek any of them out. Whatever  
had happened in another reality, _this_ reality was what he chose to focus on. And in this reality  
the _Enterprise_ crew was his family.

But somehow he had a feeling that he wouldn't forget those two Nlians.

* * *

This scene takes place after 'Star Trek Beyond'


	3. New Start Verse

_12/27/2258  
Starfleet Headquarters_

L'Naym clasped her lifemate's shoulder. "Beloved, look over there. Isn't that's Captain Kirk?"

Alyen looked to where his lifemate was pointing. "It _is_ him. And that's Dr. McCoy with him."

L'Naym took his hand. "We have a few minutes before our appointment . Let's go greet them."

"They might be busy," Alyen said uncertainly.

"They don't look busy," she countered. And indeed the two officers, sitting on a bench, weren't doing anything  
but chatting quietly.

The past week had been a haze of excitement for the lifemates. Shortly after they'd Joined the year before,  
they'd left Nlia and enrolled in the Starfleet training program for enlisted personnel. They'd completed their  
training months previously, but after the devastation wrought by Nero, Starfleet had been in a major upheaval  
of reorganization and reassigning.

Now, months after the attack, most of their graduating class had been placed and on the 20ththey'd been  
summoned to the office of their mentor, Commander Pamela Dobson, to be informed that they'd been  
placed as well.

They'd been shocked when they were told they'd been assigned to a starship; for years it had been standard  
procedure for new crewmen to be assigned to outposts or stations. But Dobson had explained that the losses  
caused by Nero had resulted in ' _an atypical acceleration of assets,'_ Enlisted personnel included. Several promising  
graduates of the Training Program were now being posted on ships right away and that included them.

To work on a station or planet would have been a tremendous privilege. But to be on a ship... to be constantly  
traveling among the stars. It was more than they'd dared dream.

And now it was about to happen. Today they were both to report to Commander Miles Hanson at 0900 for final  
instructions. And then on the 30th at 0800 hours they would report to Shuttle 3 in Hangarbay 2 for transfer  
to their new posting.

"We're going to be serving under them so we should introduce ourselves," L'Naym pressed.  
"Besides, they've just been assigned to the _Saratoga_ themselves, so I doubt they know anyone yet.  
They'd probably appreciate a friendly greeting."

Alyen's gentle features took on an expression that was both thoughtful and sad. "The Captain will probably  
appreciate it even more considering everything that's happened to him."

* * *

 _This is really it_ , Kirk thought. _Five more days and its back out into the black._

From the moment he'd first set foot on board a starship (before his life literally went to hell and back),  
he'd known that space was where he belonged.

Despite that, part of him never wanted to return to space after what happened. After two months off duty  
he had taken light administration work at Starfleet Headquarters, fully intending to stay there.

But Bones wouldn't hear of it. " _Space is where you belong, Jim. It's your_ _life. You can't let that go  
to shambles, because I know_ that you don't want to go back to a life before Starfleet. You can't let  
what happened destroy you."

The same argument had continued to play out for months until he'd finally reconsidered and applied  
for another ship.

But there had been a condition.

 _"If I go back, Bones, you go with me."_

Bones had grumbled, but said, _"As I told Pike, someone needs to keep an eye on you."_

Starfleet had immediately offered him the _USS Triumph_ , another Constitution class, but he had turned  
it down flat. After what had had happened he'd wanted nothing even remotely resembling the _Enterprise._  
He'd told Pike he wanted something as different from his former command as possible; a clean slate.  
He'd even told him that he wouldn't mind having a freighter, although he doubted that Starfleet would grant that.  
(The Hero of Earth shipping freight? How scandalous!)

In the end he'd accepted command of the _USS_ _Saratoga;_ a tiny research vessel. He would be boarding  
her for the first time on Stardate 2259.01. A new start for a new year.

"Captain Kirk?"

Kirk looked up to see a young couple standing beside him. Both were Nlian, slightly shorter than Humans  
with larger ears and eyes. The woman had dark brown skin, long black hair and enormous sea-green eyes  
that fairly glowed with warmth and cheer. The male was Caucasian in appearance with brown hair and  
gentle blue eyes.

The woman took the lead. "I'm Crewman L'Naym and this is my lifemate, Crewman Alyen. We've just been  
assigned to your ship, the _Saratoga."_

Kirk gave them a warm smile. "Well, let me be the first to welcome you both aboard."

"Actually, Captain, we wanted to welcome you." The woman's smile seemed to light up her whole face.  
"There's going to be a formal welcome ceremony when you come on board, but we thought that you might  
like an informal greeting as well."

The male spoke for the first time with a soft voice and a shy smile. "Welcome aboard, sir.  
We're both looking forward to serving with you."

Kirk's smile grew broader. "And I you, Crewmen."

Crewman Alyen looked over at Dr. McCoy. "Dr. McCoy? I understand that you're the new Chief Medical Officer.  
I'm a medical assistant and a paramedic, so I'll be part of your staff. I'm looking forward to serving with you as well."

McCoy gave one of his snorts. "We'll see how long you stay glad."

"Be nice, Bones," Kirk chided. He turned back to L'Naym "And what will _you_ be doing onboard the _Saratoga,_ Crewman?"

She gave a merry chuckle. "Working with plants, sir. I'm a botanist."

"Crewmen Alyen and L'Naym." An officer had stepped out of an office carrying a PADD.

"That's us," L'Naym said brightly. As the two Nlians headed down the hallway, she glanced back one more time.  
"We'll see you both later, Captain. Doctor. And once again, welcome aboard."

Kirk smiled again and wondered what it was about those two crewmen that struck him. He had a feeling  
he'd be seeing more of them in the future.

 _A Beginning_


End file.
